Well here we go..... Probably not going to make many friends here, probably going to lose a few actually. No one likes to lose friends, but I think what I have to say is worth it.

We have a marketing schedule at the store, and it's always a big joke if we are going to get the blogs done when they are scheduled to be done (currently Lindsey Marie and I share the task). Well, mine was due today and the girls were joking, "you are never going to get your blog done today!" They were right, I had nothing in the pipeline. Nothing. I went home, sat in front of the magical Mac, Googled fashion trends for inspiration, and poured myself a glass of wine. I repeat, I poured myself a glass of wine.

Yes,Yoli gods, I realize this is not allowed on my protein day, but I needed it tonight for inspiration.

And then, the obvious slapped me in the face. Here we go. So you guys realize that we moved, right? We are in a strip mall close to coffee shops, a grocery store, a salon, and a tanning salon. What all of us Slipperistas CANNOT believe is how incredibly busy this tanning salon is! It is a continuous, revolving door. Plenty of red faced, combination lotion pleasantry, mixed with charred skin smelling gals.

This is where I begin to lose friends.

I have fake baked. For years. But sooner or later, something hits you.....like WHAT am I doing?!?! Maybe it's yet another segment on TV about melanoma and tanning beds, or maybe it's that new mole that makes you wonder "where did that come from." But it just does hit you. Personally, I am clean a year now.

And something happened a couple of weeks ago that I think pushed me over the edge. A mother and daughter came in and asked for a piece of twine to put on the daughter's goggles so that she could tan. And I did it. And all along I knew I shouldn't have. I obviously, am still thinking of it. Women aged 18 to 39 are now eight times more likely to be diagnosed with Melanoma than they were just 40 years ago! Several states have even banned the use of tanning beds for minors (I believe that Iowa is pending for 2016). Today, the number of skin cancer cases due to tanning is higher than the number of lung cancer cases due to smoking!

It is prom season, and I know that every high school girl wants a golden tan as the perfect accessory, to that perfect dress. Please consider the use of tanning lotions or spray tans this season (and forever actually). There are so many options to at least try out before settling on the suntan coffin.

I say all of this to provoke thought and conversation, not to lose friends. I am not a hypocrite. I've done it. But that chapter is finished. Not to mention, I've fallen in love with spray tans :)